Evaporator for refrigerating machines



y 1936- F. T. GROTHOUSE 2,@46,943

EVAPORAYIOR FOR REFRIGERATINQMACHINES Original Fil ed Jan. 30, 1955 v Inventoh: E'r'anK T Gr'othouse,

U mttorneg Patented July 7, 193

Frank T. Grothouse, Fort Wayne, ind, assignor to General Electric Germany, a corporation of New Torlr I Application .lanry at, less, Serial No. 4.1% I

a Renewed November 22, 1935 a cat. Melba-12c) My invention relates to evaporators of the flooded type for refrigerating machines.

Evaporators of the flooded type usually include a header and an extended refrigerant circulatory passage communicating therewith. Liquid refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator from a compressor and condenser unit, or other refrigerant liquefying apparatus. Such liquid refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant circuslatory passage and is vaporized by the absorption of heat from articles to be cooled, which are contained in a compartment in which the evaporator is located. In many types of refrigerators, and particularly in those designed for household use, it has been found desirable to construct the evaporator in'the form of an enclosure thereby providing a freezing compartment located in or adjacent to the main food storage cortment. The header or headers for such an evaporator should be arranged in such manner that they occupy a minimum of the usable space within the enclosure formed by the evaporator, while at the same time the refrigerant circulatory system of the evaporator must be so constructed that liquid refrigerant will be rapidly circulated through passages in the walls of the evaporator in order to promote rapid and eficient heat transfer from the articles to be cooled.

It is an object of my invention to provide an evaporator of the flooded type for refrigerating machines, which will occupy a minimum usable space in a refrigerated compartment, and hav- -ing an improved arrangement for circulating the refrigerant in the walls of the evaporator.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the. following de scription proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a refrigerating machine, the refrigerat ing machine including an evaporator embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the evaporator shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Referring to the drawing, the refrigerating machine shown inFig. 1 includes a compressor and a motor for driving the compressor arranged in an hermetically sealed casing l0. Gaseous refrigerant is compressed by the motor driven compressor in casing l and is discharged into a natural draft air cooled condenser II where it is liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant flows from the condenser it through a flow controlling float valve it into a liquid line It, which supplies I liquid refrigerant, to an evaporator it arrangeda refrigerator cabinet Mia. The evaporator" it comprises two portions or sheets of metal in and E6, the two sheets preferably being made of steel. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, complementary indentations Ill and iii are formed in the ends of metal sheets l5 and i6 respectively, forming 10 a horizontal cylindrical header ill for the evaporator it, the opposite ends of the header being rounded. Longitudinal sinuous refrigerant passages or conduits 2i) and M are provided in the vertical side walls of the evaporator it by indentations formed. in the sheet l5, the passage opening into the header l9 below the liquid level therein. The passages 20 and fl are connected in series by a duct 22 formed by an indentation in the sheet l5 across the bottom of the evapo- 20 rator it. A transverse sinuous refrigerant passage or conduit 23 is formed by indentations in the sheet l5 across the bottom of the evaporator It, being connected at one end to the duct or passage 22 and at the other end tothe header W 25 by a duct 2t formed by an indentation in the sheet it. The passages 20 and 23 and the duct it thus form a continuous refrigerant circulating conduit communicating at both ends with the header in, the conduit 2i communicating with this continuous conduit at a point remote from the header ill. The sheet Hi is preferably made slightly wider than the sheet t5, the front edge 25 and the rear edge 25a of the sheet it being 'folded'over the adjacent edge of the sheet it to provide a smooth rounded edge for the front and rear of the evaporator M. The sheets l5 and it v are line welded or otherwise secured together along their peripheral edges and line or spot welded together by, a series of closely spaced spot 0 cabinet and. within the food storage compartment 26 of the refrigerator cabinet I00, by bolts or other securing means fastened to the inturncd sinuous refrigerant circulatory passage 2| at l3a,

passes downwardly therethrough, as indicated by the dotted arrows in Fig. 2, and then through the passage 22 into the series connected sinuous passage 20, which communicates with the header l9 below the normal liquid level therein. The

header I9 is maintained about half full of liquid refrigerant, as best shown in Fig. 3. The injection of the liquid refrigerant into the sinuous passage 2| sets up a rapid circulation of refrigerant therein, so that heat may be efficiently absorbed from the surrounding medium. The

circulating liquid refrigerant is partially vaporized by such absorption of heat in the passage 2| and the movement of liquid containing bubbles of vaporized refrigerant thus formed aids in the promotion of rapid circulation to the header IQ of liquid refrigerant through passage 22 in the bottom of the evaporator and the sinuous passage 20 pin the opposite vertical side wall of the evaporator M. In this manner, I provide an arrangement for efficiently circulating liquid refrigerant rapidly through the sinuous passages in both vertical side walls of the vaporator l4. The liquid and vaporized refrigerant passing to the header l9 separate therein and the vaporized refrigerant, which collects above the liquid refrigerant in the header, is drawn off through a suction line 29 communicating with header l9 above the normal liquid level therein, and is returned through the suction line 29 to the intake of the motor-driven compressor in the casing l0.

The liquid refrigerant remaining in the header 9 passes downwardly through the duct 24, which communicates with the header l9 below the normal liquid level therein, and is then circulated through the sinuous refrigerant circulatory passage 23 inthe bottom of the evaporator, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. After having circulated through the sinuous passage 23 the refrigerant is discharged into the duct 22 where it is entrained'and induced to circulate by the refrigerant ejected from the sinuous passage 2| and is recirculated through the sinuous passage 20 back to the header Hi.

It will thus be seen that a rapid and efficient circulation is produced in the passages of the evaporator. The surface of the evaporator is adequate to cool the air in the food compartment 26, and the horizontal portion l4a of the evaporator produces suflicient refrigeration to freeze the contents of a freezing tray or other articles placed thereon.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention in connection with a compression refrigerating machine, I do not desire my invention to be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An evaporator of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprising a freezing compartment having side walls, one of said side walls having a header and a depending sinuous refrigerant conduit communicating therewith, the other of said side walls having a second sinuous refrigerant conduit communicating with a portion of said first mentioned conduit remote from said header, and means for supplying liquid refrigerant to said second refrigerant conduit.

2. An evaporator of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprising a freezing compartment having side walls, one of said side walls having a header and a depending sinuous refrigerant conduit communicating therewith, the other of said side walls having a second sinuous refrigerant conduit communicating with a portion of said first mentioned conduit remote from said header, means'for discharging liquid refrigerant into said second refrigerant conduit, and means including a third sinuous refrigerant conduit of said evaporator communicating with said header below the normal liquid level therein and communicating with said first mentioned conduit for recirculating liquid refrigerant from said header to said first mentioned conduit.

3. An evaporator of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprising a freezing compartment having side walls, one of said side walls having a header and a depending sinuous refrigerant conduit communicating therewith, the other of said side walls having a second sinuous refrigerant conduit communicating with a portion of said firstmentioned conduit remote from said header, means for discharging liquid refrigerant into said second refrigerant conduit, and means including a third refrigerant conduit defining a horizontal wall of said compartment communicating with said header below the normal liquid level therein and communicating with said first mentioned conduit for recirculating liquid refrigerant from said header to said first mentioned conduit.

4. An evaporator 'of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprising complementary U-shaped sheet metal portions forming two side walls and the bottom wall of a freezing compartment, means for joining said sheet ,metal portions togethenat least one of said' sheet metal portions having an indentation therein cooperating with the other sheet metal portion to form a header adjacent the top of one of said side walls, at least one of said sheet metal portions having an indentation therein forming a sinuous refrigerant circulatory passage between said sheet metal portions and communicating with said header, said sinuous passage extending about said one side wall and the other of said side walls, and means for discharging liquid refrigerant into a portion of. said passage in said other side wall.

5. An evaporator of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprising complementary U-shaped sheet metal portions forming two side Walls and the bottom wall of a freezing compartment, means for joining said sheet metal portions together, at least one of said sheet metal portions having an indentation therein cooperating with the otherlsheet metal portion to form a header adjacent the top of one of said side walls, at least one of said sheet metal portions having an indentation therein forming a plurality of sinuous refrigerant passages between said sheet metal portions .and communicating with said header, said passages also communicating with each other at a-point remote from said header, means for discharging liquid refrigerant into a portion of one of said passages in the side wall frigerating machines comprising complementary U-shaped sheet metal portions forming two side walls and the bottom wall of a freezing compartment, means for joining said sheet metal portions together, at least one of said sheet metal portions having indentations therein cooperating with the other of said sheet metal portions to form a header adjacent the top of one of said side walls, at least one of said sheet metal portions having indentations therein forming a sinuous refrigerant passage between said sheet metal portions in each of said side walls, one of said passages communicating with said header, means connecting saidpassages' in series, further indentations in at least one of said sheet metal portions forming another passage having a section in said bottom wall communicating with said means intermediate said first mentioned passages and with said header, means for discharging liquid refrigerant into the one of said passages in the side wall opposite the wall containing said header, and means including said passage in said bottom wall for recirculating liquid refrigerant from said header.

'1. An evaporator of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprising complementary U-shaped sheet metal portions forming two side walls and the bottom wall of a freezing compartment, means joining said sheet metal portions together, at least one of said sheet metal portions having indentations therein cooperating with the'other of said sheet metal portions to form a header adjacent the top of one of said side walls, at least one of said sheet metal portions having indentations therein forming a longitudinal sinuous refrigerant circulatory passage between said sheet metal portions in each of said sidewalls, one of said passages communicating with said header below the normal liquid level therein, means including a duct in said bottom 5 wall connecting said passages in series, further, indentations in at least one of said sheet metal portions forming a transverse sinuous refrigerant passage in said bottom wall communicating with said duct and with said header below the normal liquid level therein, and means for discharging liquid refrigerant into a portion of said passage located in said side wall opposite said header.

8. An evaporator of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprisinga freezing compartment having side walls, one of .said side walls having a header and a conduit communicating at both ends with said header, the other of said side walls having a sinuous conduit therein communicating with said first mentioned. conduit remote from said header; and means for supplying liquid refrigerant to said sinuous conduit.

9. An evaporator of the flooded type for a refrigerating machine comprising a freezing compartment having side walls, one of said side walls having a header and a sinuous conduit communicating at both ends with said header, means ineluding a refrigerant circulating conduit in the other of said side walls communicating with said first mentioned conduit remote from said header for supplying refrigerant to said first mentioned conduit and for producing a circulation of refrigerant therein, and means for supplying liquid refrigerant to said refrigerant circulating conduit.

FRANK T. GROTHOUSE. 

